Kolkata hospital undertakes MICS to cure patients

Over the past decade, minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery (MICS) has grown in popularity.

In this technique, the heart is approached through the side of the left chest via a small 4 cm incision.

The entry to the chest is through between the ribs and without cutting any bones and by splitting the muscle.

Similar to a regular heart surgery, the operation is performed using a combination of veins and arteries removed from the leg. This translates to decreased pain and reduced surgical exposure in highly complex operations and the potential for prolonged operative times and patient safety.

With innovations and improvement of transthoracic echocardiography and the development of specialized surgical instruments and robotic technology, cardiac surgery has been provided with the necessary tools to progress to less invasive approaches.

Speaking on the occasion, well known Minimally Invasive Heart Surgeon from Italy, Lucia Torraca said, “Most recently, a small number of hospitals in the country have begun operating on patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease using a hybrid procedure that combines coronary artery stents and robot-assisted CABG surgery. These minimally invasive techniques hold a range of benefits for patients. In addition, MICS itself will continue to evolve in the future through growing use of percutaneous technology, hybrid operating rooms and ongoing collaborations with interventional cardiologists.”

Dr. Sushan Mukhopadhyay, Director, Cardio Thoracic & Vascular Surgery, Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals Ltd said, “Compared to open surgery, minimally invasive heart surgery offers several benefits to the patient, such as shorter hospital stays, smaller incisions, and faster recoveries. Instead of receiving a breast bone splitting procedure, patients receiving the hybrid CABG surgery are getting best of both worlds treatments and have significant advantage for our more elderly patients. ”

Dr Rupali Basu, President & CEO-Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, India added, “Minimally invasive cardiac surgery continues to evolve and expand with growth in technology and surgeon experience. In the future, there will likely be a greater request for MICS approaches by patients seeking cardiac surgical options with reduced surgical trauma that allow for a faster return to normal activities and improved quality of life.”

The first minimally invasive heart surgery was performed in Stanford in 1996 and since then enormous progress has been made both in the technique and technology involved in this surgery.